In the Shadow of the Valley
by smileplease91
Summary: She had nowhere or no one to return to. Perhaps one person can give her a place to belong.
1. Chapter 1

*Hello! This is my third Fallout fanfiction, and this will be longer than the other two. I hope you enjoy and tell me what you think; if you have any constructive criticism or advice, please share!*

They were lost.

She and Boone had been travelling for days; more than likely, Veronica was chomping at the bit since they had been gone for such a long time. Cass was probably as drunk as Bill Ronte right about now, and Arcade should have been back at Old Mormon Fort. She wished she could communicate with everyone somehow, but they would have to make do with the situation they had now.

She pulled up her Pipboy again- it had gone out three days before. If ED-E had been there, it would have been fixed easily. She was smart, but not ED-E smart. In a way, she wished she would have brought either Raul, Veronica, or Arcade with her; Boone wasn't much for conversation, but he was a damn good sniper.

"Ruth, look."

Hearing Boone, she stopped fidgeting with her Pipboy and turned her gaze to where he was pointing. A group was heading their way. Out of reflex, she reached for her gun, but Boone put his hand on top her hand and lowered it.

"Relax. It's NCR," he reassured as he started toward the group, Ruth following closely behind. While she was in good standings with the NCR, she knew it was better to let Boone do the talking at first. However, he didn't get that chance.

"Soldiers," a man called out to them, "are you lost?"

"Actually, yeah," Ruth replied. She had almost forgotten she was wearing an NCR beret.

"Well, you don't want to head that way," the same man said, pointing behind him with his thumb. "That's Camp Searchlight. It's irradiated, and ghouls are all over the place."

"Good to know," Boone nodded.

"Why are you here?" Ruth asked, curious.

The African-American man who had spoken to them sighed. "Ah, right. I'm First Sergeant Astor. We were stationed at Searchlight when those Legionnaire bastards attacked. They irradiated the camp and left, leaving us to scurry to get people out." Ruth could see pain in Astor's eyes as they went distant. "Some didn't make it. They either died or became ghouls." His eyes then focused on her. "That's why I'm here- to warn people about the camp and to lead them away."

"You have our thanks," Ruth spoke. Boone gave a single nod in agreement.

Astor didn't seem to take the gratitude, either from grief or guilt. Or both. "There's a small settlement northwest of here, called Thanton Town. If you need a rest or to restock, I suggest you go there."

"Thanton Town?" Ruth pointed to her Pipboy. "I've never seen it on my Pipboy."

"Or on any map, for that matter," Boone muttered.

"It's really small, so it won't," Astor informed.

Ruth glanced northwest then back to Astor. "Alright. Thanks."

Astor nodded. Ruth and Boone started to leave-

"H-Hey," Astor stammered. They stopped and looked back to him. "Listen…" They could tell he was hesitating about whatever it was he was going to say, but they patiently waited. When he was finally able to speak, he did it slowly. "Those poor bastards. I can't imagine how they must be suffering. I'd like to put them out of their misery, but… I can't do it." His eyes fell away from them. "Can you do me a favor?"

Ruth nodded. "You say it's irradiated, right? As soon as we find some suits, Rad-X, and Radaway, we'll go."

Astor smiled. "Ma'am."

With that, she and Boone headed northwest. Sleeping on the ground was killing her neck, perhaps in part of behind shot in the head, courtesy of Benny. Not to mention they could use some water and ammo. And food. She wasn't sure whose stomach was growling louder, hers or Boone's. In an hour's time, they reached Thanton Town. Astor wasn't kidding- it was literally five houses, a general store, and gardens, with a small pack of Brahmin behind a fence. No sign of an inn, either. Ruth let out a defeated sigh and slumped her tense shoulders.

"Maybe Astor meant a different town," Boone suggested.

"No, this is it," Ruth grumbled. "Oh, well. Let's just go to-"

"Oh, hey! You two look like you mean business!" they heard a young woman exclaim. They turned to their left to see the woman, who was around twenty years old with long, curly red hair and bright blue eyes, standing on her porch. Her cheeks and the bridge of her nose had freckles, and her skin, despite being in the desert sun frequently, was a creamy color. Her blue jeans had wear and tear on them, and her white wife-beater had spots of dirt here and there. And her smile. Her smile was infectious, for Ruth found herself smiling back.

"I guess so," Boone shrugged. The woman ran off her porch and to them, stopping with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Good! I'm looking for people who do! See, we have a slight Giant Ant problem, and we could use your help."

"Giant Ant? They're not firebreathing, are they?"

"Oh, of course not!" the woman grinned at Boone's question. "If they were, then this place wouldn't be here."

"Good point," Ruth spoke. "Do you know where they are coming from, Miss…?"

The woman slammed her palm into her forehead. "Dang it! I did it again! Sarah is always fussing at me for this!" She held her left hand out. "Name's Judith, but everyone calls me Jude. Don't know why, don't care why."

Ruth took her hand and gave it a firm shake. "Ruth. This is my friend Craig Boone."

"Just Boone," he greeted.

Jude released Ruth's hand. "That's what I call a handshake! Daddy always told me and Sarah to give a good, firm handshake- makes a good first impression. Nice meeting you." She then turned and pointed behind her house. "I've seen them come up over that hill. Not many, though, and they're usually picked off by the time they get to the bottom. I'm just worried that eventually, they'll come in a pack and kill our Brahmin, or perhaps even someone." She then put her hands on her hips. "Why don't you restock then come back here? I'll have you something to eat and a place to rest, because I'm sure you'd like to do that before taking care of our ant problem."

"What about your parents and Sarah?" Ruth questioned. "We don't want to impose."

Jude shook her head. "It's just Sarah and me. She won't mind. Promise!" She turned-

"Now, hold on just a minute," Boone piped up, taking a step toward her. "You're a little too trusting to two complete strangers. We could be Raiders or Powder Gangers for all you know. Maybe even Great Khans."

Jude laughed as she turned halfway to see them. "Great Khans? Out here? Not a chance. You're too clean and sober for Raiders, and Powder Gangers travel in larger groups, not just two loners. Not to mention they have a whole lot more on them explosively than what you do." She then pointed to their berets. "NCR folk tend to be helpful, if not a little stupid and prideful. I think I'm in good hands." She turned around and headed to her house, throwing up her hand in a sloppy wave. "See you soon!"

Ruth let out a laugh as she patted Boone's back as he scratched behind his ear. "She's not as naïve as you think, huh, Boone?"


	2. Chapter 2

After restocking at the general store, Ruth and Boone made their way back to Jude's house. As soon as they stepped onto the porch, Jude opened the door and greeted them with a smile. Behind her, they could see a woman slightly older than Jude quickly walking into the kitchen. She, too, had long curly red hair and creamy skin, but she had gone too fast for them to see everything else. Both Ruth and Boone deducted Jude and Sarah were sisters.

"You two hungry?" Jude asked in a bubbly manner.

"Let's just put it this way," Ruth began to reply. "Whatever you put in front of us, we'll eat it."

Jude moved to the side, allowing Boone and Ruth into the house. Once they were in, she closed the door behind them, and Sarah walked out of the kitchen. Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks as well, and she had three long, deep scars on the left side of her face. Her left eye was a milky blue while the other was as bright as Jude's eyes.

"I take it they are our guests?" Her voice was soft, warm.

Jude nodded. "Yup! Sarah, this is Ruth and Boone. Guys, this is my sister, Sarah."

"Nice to meet you," Ruth greeted as Boone gave Sarah a nod.

"Likewise," Sarah agreed. "Jude tells me you're here to take care of our ant problem."

"We'll do our best," Ruth said, fidgeting with her Pipboy. God, in the desert heat, the thing was a nightmare on her arm.

"Well, I hope you do. It would give the people here peace of mind." She tilted her head back toward the kitchen. "Help yourselves."

"I've got caps," Ruth mentioned. "Here, for-"

"Consider this payment for helping us," Sarah interrupted, waving her hand in rejection. "We've only got one extra bed, so I'm afraid the two of you will have to share."

Ruth and Boone shrugged. During their course together, everyone one of them had shared beds numerous times. The desert got cold at night, after all. The first time Ruth and Boone shared a bed, she slept on her side all night to avoid touching him; the man had lost his wife, so sleeping with her was probably excruciating for him. When she awoke the next morning, she was both shocked and saddened to feel his arms around her. Sometime during the night, he must have felt her, and somewhere in his sleep-deprived mind thought she was Carla. She never told him, but somehow, he knew and apologized to her. She made sure to tell him he never had to apologize again if it happened… which it did.

They ate their meal, at first devouring it then slowing to taste it. It had been so long since they ate a meal this good, and they wanted to treasure it.

"Man, everyone else is missing out," Ruth mumbled between bites.

"Everyone else?" Jude asked. "You have other friends?"

"Oh, yeah. A merry band of idiots," Ruth mischievously grinned. "There's Cass, a woman who loves her beer as much as she loved her father's legacy. Arcade, a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse; he's good-looking, but only has eyes for men. Raul, a ghoul who's as old as House-"

"House?"

"Er, long story. Let's see… Oh, Veronica. If you ever come across a clean fancy dress, lemme know, will you? She's dying for one. Believe it or not, we have a Nightkin on our side."

"No kiddin'?"

"No kiddin'!" Ruth laughed, nudging Jude with her elbow. "Her name is Lily. She's a little crazy-"

"A little?" Boone grunted.

"Okay, so the Stealth Boys made her lose it. She's thinks I'm her grandchild," Ruth sighed. "But, really, she's as sweet as she can be and means well. Then, there's Rex, our cyberdog, and ED-E, our eyebot."

Jude let out a hearty laugh. "That does sound like a merry band of idiots!" She then looked to Boone. "What about you? What are you in this band?"

"He's the quiet one," Ruth quickly said, sensing Boone's derision.

Boone swallowed his bite and took a swig of water. "I'm the one that shoots things."

Jude leaned her head into her hand. "Sounds good enough. As long as things get dead, right?"

"Pretty much."

Ruth nearly passed out. She could have sworn to have seen a smirk on Boone's lips.

When they finished their meal, Ruth helped Jude clean up. Meanwhile, Boone was in the bathroom shaving, and Sarah was outside making sure the Brahmin were safe. Ruth couldn't get Sarah's face out of her mind; what had happened to her?

"You can ask, you know."

Ruth looked up from the plate she was putting on the counter to Jude. How…? She shook her head, slightly embarrassed.

"I wasn't-"

"She was attacked by a baby Deathclaw that had wondered away from its mother," Jude answered Ruth's unasked question. "She has other scars on her body, but obviously, the ones on her face are the most prominent."

"How long ago was this?"

"Mmm, about three years ago?" Jude placed her dishrag on the sink. The water must come from a well somewhere close by. "She doesn't let it bother her. I think she's still beautiful."

Ruth smiled. "She is."

Jude glanced around then looked to Ruth. "So, what's Gruff Boy's story?"

Ruth raised an eyebrow. "Gruff- oh you mean Boone." She shook her head. "I'm not sure he'd like me talking about him behind his back, but he's had it rough lately. So, go easy on him, all right?"

"He doesn't smile much."

"Who does anymore?"

Jude tapped her fingers on the countertop. "True." She then reached up and pecked Ruth on the shoulder. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"Mm-hm!" With the same hand she poked Ruth with, she flicked a strand of her hair. "You once had black hair, but it's just about gray now from you being out in the sun so long. Someone as pretty as you- it's hard to imagine you to be so hardened."

Ruth tilted her head to the side. "You can read people well, huh?"

"I like to think so," Jude grinned. "Plus, green eyes are very expressive. They tell a whole story just one their own."

Ruth fidgeted with her Pipboy again. "It's hard to say."

Jude leaned onto the countertop and crossed her arms, her face gentle and understanding. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to," Ruth rebutted. "I, uh, was kinda shot in the head and buried, so…"

For a moment, Jude stared at Ruth, her eyes expressing her skepticism. Then, she realized Ruth was telling the truth, and her arms uncrossed and hung loosely to her sides. Her eyes widened, and she then reached up with a hand and covered her mouth.

"How did you survive?"

"Good question. A robot dug me up, though, and took me to a doc in Goodsprings, who patched me up."

"So, you don't remember anything before you were shot?"

"Not a thing."

"That's so sad…" Jude whispered, her eyes falling away from Ruth.

"Ah, it is what it is. If I'm meant to recall my life before, it'll happen. If not, I'll just continue the way I have been."

"Well, you must have been a decent person before," Jude smiled. "You're so nice now, and that much shouldn't have changed, you know?"

"That, or I was shot in the part of the brain that controls emotion," Ruth informed, tapping her head with her index finger. "No, seriously, what if? It kills me to think that I could've possibly been a complete asshole before I was shot."

"I doubt it," Jude reassured. She then looked to the doorframe, Boone's footsteps echoing from the hall. He appeared in the doorway, looking clean-shaven and slightly relaxed. "Well, look at you! A full night's rest, and you'll be golden!"

"I could use it," he agreed. "Thanks for this, Jude."

"Ah, one person helping another is what makes this world go 'round," Jude beamed. Even Ruth found herself smiling at Boone's gratuity. "If you want to rest, the room is the second down the hall and to your left." He started out of the room, but Jude wasn't finished yet. "Hey, Boone?" He stopped. "How far can you shoot?"

"Give me a scope, and however far you need, consider it done," he replied. "I was First Recon, so we were given special training in sniping. Hand to hand combat, not so much."

"First Recon? Holy Brahmin!" Jude shouted. "What was it like? Was the training intense? How long did-"

"Whoa, now," Boone interrupted, waving his hands in front of him. "One question at a time."

Jude sat down at the table, then reached over, pulled a chair out, and motioned for Boone to sit beside her. Ruth laughed at Boone's exasperated look as she walked out to the bathroom to wash up. If Jude could get Boone to talk, it would be a miracle. Thirty minutes later, once she felt clean enough, she went back into the kitchen to see Jude and Boone still there. Jude was listening intently to every word Boone spoke, visibly fascinated by his journeys as First Recon and with Ruth. She left the room then went outside to find Sarah sitting on the porch. Sarah turned her head to Ruth as she closed the door behind her.

"She's a chatterbox," Sarah smiled. "Really, though, if you need for me to shut her up, just let me know."

Ruth shook her head. "No, it's fine. Boone doesn't talk much, so the past couple of days being lost with him had been testing my sanity."

Sarah gave a slight nod and looked out at the pack of Brahmin. "I'm guessing she told you."

Ruth didn't have to guess as to what Sarah was guessing. "…How old were you?"

"It was two years ago," Sarah answered. She heard Ruth let out a sigh of both shock and sorrow. "It's all right. I've had time to deal with it. It's not as bad as it seems. I've still managed to win a man's heart despite my scars."

"Oh? When do we get to meet him?" Ruth asked, glancing around the town.

Sarah shrugged. "I'm not sure. He's off fighting this stupid war. Last I heard, he was in Camp Forlorn Hope." She clicked the heel of her boot on the wooden porch. "Some name, huh?"

"Yeah, whoever chose that name didn't really do a good job," Ruth agreed.

Sarah titled her head up to look at Ruth. "You're with the NCR, right? You and that Boone fellow. Have you heard anything about him?"

"Can't say I have, sorry," Ruth exhaled. "But, we're going around the camps, helping as much as we can. If we swing around Forlorn Hope, I'll ask about him." She could feel Sarah's eyes drilling into her soul, so she looked at her. "Is something wrong?"

"Why are you being so nice?"

"I'm sorry?"

Sarah stood up and crossed the porch, leaning her back onto the banister. "No one these days is as nice as you. Except for my sister, and that's because she's a little sheltered. So, what's up with you?"

Ruth shook her head and held her hands up at her sides. "I don't know? Do I need a reason to be?" The look on Sarah's face gave her the answer. "Look, I've seen enough bad stuff as it is. I've been on the receiving end myself. I was shot in the head and left for dead all because of a stupid poker chip. All I know is that so many have lost faith and their place is this world, and if we don't start helping each other and changing things, the war with Legion isn't the only thing we're going to have to worry about."

For a moment, nothing was said. She could see Sarah studying her, taking in her response. Then, she leaned off the banister and walked to her, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"Fair enough." She then lowered her hand. "It's just… my sister… she's not innocent, but she's not worldly, either. I wanted to be sure that you were good people."

Ruth smiled. "I don't blame you one bit."

Sarah shared the smile with her then titled her head at the door. "You'd better be getting some rest. Jude is an early-riser, and she'll want to get the ant problem over with first thing after breakfast."

Ruth turned around and opened the door, Boone's and Jude's voices reaching her ears. What Jude and Sarah didn't know was that this was the best rest she had gotten since she woke up in Doc Mitchell's office, even if she hadn't slept yet.


End file.
